Remy Palma was apparently a big factor.
Michelle Morente, Mary Joy Dacoron, and Ethan Arce have different reasons why they have chosen the Petro Gazz Angels as their new home for the 2024 PVL season. One of them says the team is closer to home and one wants a new drive in life.
And apparently, Remy Palma is a big factor for these new Angels. No really.
Morente, an opposite spiker who blossomed under coach Rald Ricafort’s watch with the PLDT High Speed Hitters, revealed that she was already in contact with Petro Gazz as early as last year.
“When I knew na hindi na ako magpi-PLDT ulit, I reached out to a few teams and number one na sobrang naging interested sa ‘kin si Petro Gazz. Last year pa din, even before PLDT, I’m in contact with Petro Gazz. I was so scared. Nag-panic kasi ako, ‘hala baka walang kumuha sa ‘kin na team, so I took PLDT,” Morente revealed on One Sports’ The Game.
It was a fairly easy decision. Petro Gazz was the former team of middle blocker Jeanette Panaga, Morente’s partner.
“Sabi ko, why not? Petro Gazz has been close to my heart naman din kasi Pangs was Petro before, so it was kind of like a family to me, nakilala ko na rin yung management,” she added.
There was one more factor in Morente’s decision–2023 PVL 1st All-Filipino Conference Best Middle Blocker Remy Palma.
“I see Petro Gazz as very kalmado, sobrang kalmado,” Morente explained. “Very excited because it’s gonna be different surroundings, especially si Remy. Ever since college, kalaban ko siya.”
Even middle blocker Ethan Arce, the youngest of the three recruits and a part of the disbanded F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, said she was excited to learn from Palma.
“Siguro po ‘yung mga blockings po ni Ate Rem and mga running [plays] niya since alam ko po sa sarili ko hirap po ako sa blockings and runnings. At siguro ‘yung onting angas ‘yung gusto kong matutunan,” Arce told The Game.
Apparently, Palma is one of the most distracting trash-talkers in the league, according to a few players.
RELATED: Pang-asar: Pauline Gaston, Dzi Gervacio name most distracting trash-talker in PVL
While the Angels have a solid blocker in Palma, the squad still needed more as MJ Phillips is playing in South Korea’s V-League and Ranya Musa went down with an injury.
Musa was having a resurgence in Petro Gazz before the incident.
For Dacoron, a middle blocker from the disbanded F2 Logistics, Musa’s growth was an inspiration to improve further.
“Kasi nung si Ranya na-injure, I felt so sad. I saw na grabe yung growth ni Ranya with the Petro Gazz family. So nagkaroon ako ng bagong drive na kailangan kong lamangan kung ano college days’ performance ko,” Dacoron reflected.
“Dito ko nakita ‘yung opportunity na grabe rin tiwala sa akin ng management. Veteran na player din [ako], na ibabalik ko 'yun. ‘Yun ‘yung drive ko at kung mababalik ko man ‘yun, posibleng malaki ang maambag ko sa Petro.”
Morente, Dacoron, and Arce, along with the returning Myla Pablo, will be looking to change the fortunes of the two-time champion team, after the Angels finished sixth in the Second All-Filipino Conference.
(KA)